The left overs Debate

After having looked into the two breads the lovely Paul Hollywood suggested, I realised that for best results I needed two ingredients that I didn't have (um.... strong white bread flour and oil....so quite important ones I think you'll agree when attempting bread making) and both breads needed to be left to rise/proof for 24+ hours so obviously this ruled them out for dinner last night, so the bread making will be put off until this weekend when as I am staying with my boyfriend I will make them in his kitchen as its soooo much bigger and lighter than mine and a joy to cook in (note the tone of slight jealousy) we can enjoy them there (providing they work of coarse) and I can use his two flatmates as extra taste testers.

So in the end after hearing the protests of my children over what I planned to do for dinner and being the dutiful, caring and empathetic mother that I am..... I said I was making it anyway but as a slight concession I would make a family favourite as well providing they tried the new dish and any leftovers would be used up for dinner today. After conferring with each other like it was the £64,000 question they sceptically agreed and so I made a lasagne, a macaroni cheese and a carbonara.

Now cooking three different dishes after doing the school run, listening to the trials and tribulations of all three of their days, helping the youngest do his reading home work, while yelling to the eldest one he should be doing his, keeping the middle one from starting world war 3 as he smugly informs his brothers he doesn't have any home work and sorting the next days packed lunches and trying to keep on top of the washing/drying that was going on is not that easy! However I am very pleased that not only did all three come out very well but all three dishes were enjoyed by everyone.

The because I had the stuff dish (my favourite)
The lasagne was a simple basic version that I learned to cook as a child, minced beef cooked with a chopped white onion in a deep frying pan then chuck in what ever you have in the fridge/food cupboard which last night consisted of dried mixed herbs, garlic, a tin of tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, whole grain mustard, tomato purée and an orange and red pepper. I then cheated slightly and added a small jar of tomato pasta sauce I found in the cupboard and layered it up with lasagne sheets and white sauce and topped with with tons of grated cheddar cheese and baked until the cheese was a bubbling molten and a dark brown colour (just how we like it in this family)

The family favourite (the bribe to try the new dish)
The macaroni cheese was a simple cheese sauce made with a mixture of basic white sauce, creamed cheese, grated cheddar cheese and crème fresh,  to which the cooked pasta was added mixed and baked again with a cheesy brown crust on top.

The new dish (well new to the kids-boyf's favourite)
The carbonara was a basic cheese sauce to which I added some cooked up and chopped up smoked bacon bits, Spanish choritzo, and ham and spring onions (all things I had in the fridge) I had forgotten to buy the fresh tagliatelle so had to use the dried spaghetti I already had in the cupboard (no one noticed or if my boyfriend did he didn't mention it until I pointed it out)

Everyone ate everything going back for several more portions so much so that that the plan to reheat the lasagne and macaroni cheese may have to be re thought as I'm not sure there is enough to go round today!! Although as it will just be me and the kids for dinner tonight I may be able to make something to make it go a bit further..... although its almost lunch time and it is freezing cold, pouring with rain and gale force winds here today so the idea of reheating that lasagne for my lunch and eating it all alone seems very tempting.
In which case I will need to think about something else to cook wont I???